Wild Knights make Top League playoffs
TOKYO (Jan. 4) – Panasonic Wild Knights became the first side to qualify for the Lixil Cup – the playoffs to determine the Top League champions – as they beat Canon Eagles 38-13 on Sunday.
The reigning champions ran in three second-half tries at Komazawa Olympic Park to add to two in the first stanza to make sure they cannot finish outside the top four in Group A.
Berrick Barnes, Akihito Yamada, Daniel Heenan, Shota Horie and Keita Inagaki all crossed the whitewash for Robbie Deans’ team with Barnes adding two penalty goals and two conversions and Tadahiro Miwa a penalty.
Canon’s points, which all came in the first 32 minutes of play, came from a try by Murphy Leilua and two penalties and a conversion from the boot of Tokiro Harada.
Panasonic will be joined in the playoffs by three of four sides after Kobe Kobelco Steelers ended Toyota Verblitz’s mathematical chance of making the top four.
Andries Bekker crossed twice and Daisuke Yamamoto kicked four conversions and two penalty goals as Gary Gold’s team won 34-7 to move into second place.
The Steelers have 24 points, five less than Panasonic, with Toshiba Brave Lupus on 23, Yamaha Jubilo on 22 and Suntory Sungoliath 21 heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
Panasonic take on Yamaha next Sunday with Kobe up against Canon, Toshiba against NTT Communications Shining Arcs, while Suntory play Toyota.
Things are just as tight in Group B, with Ricoh Black Rams the only side to be assured of a top-four spot and a place in the wild card tournament for this season’s All-Japan Championship, thanks to a 16-3 win over NEC Green Rockets.
Andre Taylor bagged a hat-trick of tries as Kintetsu Liners moved above NEC into second spot with a 40-17 win over Toyota Industries Shuttles, while NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes’ 42-15 victory over Kubota Spears sees them in fourth spot.
The top four sides in the second-tier group not only take part in the wild card tournament, but are guaranteed a spot in the Top League next season. The bottom side – either Munakata Sanix Blues or the Shuttles – will be automatically relegated, while the teams finishing fifth, sixth and seventh must play promotion/relegation playoff games against three teams from the regional leagues.
Sanix did their confidence the world of good going into the final weekend by picking up their first first win of the second stage, a 24-10 defeat of Coca-Cola Red Sparks.